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Julian Nagelsmann has hailed his players following their Champions League win over Manchester United, saying that RB Leipzig's stars were "machines" to emerge victorious from an intense game on Tuesday.

RB Leipzig took down the Red Devils on Tuesday, emerging with a 3-2 win to continue their Champions League run.

Semi-finalists last season, Leipzig stunned Manchester United early on a goal from Angelino, who fired the German side into the lead within two minutes. 

Amadou Haidara doubled that lead in the 13th minute while Justin Kluivert made it three with a second-half finish of his own.

However, RB Leipzig were forced to hold on to that lead due to a pair of late Manchester United goals.

Bruno Fernandes gave Manchester United hope, firing from the penalty spot in the 80th minute.

And, just two minutes later, Paul Pogba netted from a set piece, although the play was reviewed by VAR before eventually being confirmed.

But hold on RB Leipzig did, leaving Nagelsmann proud of his team's strength as they sealed their spot in the knockout rounds at the expense of Manchester United.

"It was a very intense final minutes of the game," he said. "We played a good game for a long time.

"We should not concede the penalty, we have to defend it better. For me, it's not a definite penalty, but a normal duel.

"On the second goal, I also believe that Harry Maguire's hand went to the ball. I've seen four perspectives, it's hard to see, but I think it was handball and shouldn't have counted either.

"It doesn't matter now, though. We're through, the boys fought. The boys are machines, they showed that again today."

RB Leipzig currently sit third in the Bundesliga, to points behind league-leaders Bayern Munich and one point behind second-place Bayer Leverkusen.

Last season's semi-finalists will have to wait and see where they finish in their Champions League group, though, as Paris Saint-Germain's clash with Istanbul Basaksehir was pushed back to Wednesday after the Turkish side stormed off the field early in the first half, alleging that the club's assistant coach had been racially abused by the fourth official.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hit back at Mino Raiola after his Manchester United side were dumped out of the Champions League on Tuesday.

Paul Pogba’s agent did an explosive interview with Tuttosport   on Monday declaring his client’s time at the club was over. 

Solskjaer started the midfielder on the bench  at Leipzig but insisted his decision had nothing to do with the comments from Raiola the previous day.

Pogba came off the bench and scored in the 82nd minute as United attempted a late comeback, but the Red Devils fell to a 3-2 defeat that saw them crash out of the Champions League. 

Pushed after the game on if Raiola's comments had had any impact on the team Solskjaer replied: “Squad is fine, they’re a team and they stick together. As soon as Paul’s agent realises this is a team sport and we work together the better, and that’s maybe the last thing I’ll say about that, I don’t want to spend energy on that.”

It is not the first time Raiola has been vocal about his client’s desire to leave but Solskjaer would not indicate if he had spoken to the Frenchman about the incident.

“You’ve got to ask Paul if he’s happy or not, I’m not going to speak for him,” the United manager said on BT Sport. “He’s focused on doing his best for the team when he’s here, he’s working hard in training and he just needs to focus on his performances. Now is not the time to discuss transfer targets or ins and outs of the club.”

Solskjaer lamented his side's slow start to the game at Leipzig, as United were down two goals within the first 13 minutes.

“Today we never got going and as I said before the other games we conceded the first goal, we started and played pretty well, but today we didn’t start until 2-0,” Solskjaer explained.

“That’s something we need to address even more. Of course we have addressed it and spoken about it and talked about it, especially Leipzig what they will do early on in the game, we need to manage that one and we didn’t manage it well enough definitely.”

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer criticised his team's slow start as they crashed out of the Champions League after a 3-2 loss to Leipzig on Tuesday.

The Red Devils needed at least a draw at Leipzig's Red Bull Arena to progress to the knockout stages but found themselves down 2-0 inside their first 13 minutes via goals to Angelino and Amadou Haidara.

Solskjaer's team pushed forward hard in the second half to get back in the game but conceded a third through Justin Kluivert with 20 minutes to play.

Despite Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba clawing two goals back leaving United a glimmer of hope, the Red Devils were left to rue their slow start once again - conceding the first goal in their fourth consecutive match.

"We started too late," Solskjaer said to BT Sport. "Great spirit and comeback again.

"It's different to the Premier League, you can't give a team a three-goal lead and expect to come back. We were unlucky towards the end and you almost thought it was in at the last minute there.

"Of course you can't say we were good enough, we weren't. In a difficult group of course, the big defeat for us was the one away to Istanbul - that's where we lost the points we should have had.

"Today we were close but we knew we had to defend crosses and balls into the box and we just couldn't clear them.

"As a footballer, you can't feel sorry for yourself. You feel sorry for a few minutes tonight and then we focus on a massive game on Saturday."

Solskjaer was asked about Pogba's future following comments from the player's agent Mino Raiola suggesting his career was finished at Old Trafford .

However, the Norwegian refused to shed light on the saga, insisting that Pogba should be questioned about his own future.

"You have to ask Paul if he is happy or not, I won't speak for him," Solskjaer said.

"He's working hard in training and he needs to focus on his performances. Now is not the time to discuss transfers."

United were stunned in only the second minute as former Man City wing-back Angelino arrived in space at the back past to rifle home a fine drive.

And when Angelino picked out an unmarked Haidara at the back post, who belted in a crisp, volleyed finish, the battle for the Red Devils to qualify looked almost insurmountable.

Man Utd kept coming, dominating possession and chances, but were hit on the break in the 69th minute when Kluivert slipped into the six-yard box to poke past David de Gea.

Extraordinarily, United got themselves back into the contest through a Fernandes penalty after Mason Greenwood was fouled in the area, and Pogba's header that flashed into the net via a deflection with eight minutes to play

But the Leipzig defence held off United's late charge with the Germans and PSG qualifying for the knockout stage, regardless of the result between the French and Istanbul Baseksehir, with that match suspended after claims of racism against a match official .

Cristiano Ronaldo says Juventus have "nothing to fear" after their dominant 3-0 win over Barcelona.

Ronaldo converted a penalty in each half as his great rival Lionel Messi toiled in vain - the margin of victory enough for Juve to pip Barca to top spot in Champions League Group G.

After numerous memorable battles at Camp Nou in the white of Real Madrid, the 35-year-old revelled in the most impressive moment of Juventus' fledgling Andrea Pirlo era.

"Always great to return to Spain and to Catalunya, always hard to play in Camp Nou against one of the best teams I ever faced," Ronaldo tweeted.

"Today we were a team of Champions! A true, strong and united family!

"Playing like this, we have nothing to fear until the end of the season… Let's go!"

Coach Andrea Pirlo, who has endured mixed fortunes during his debut season on the bench in Turin, was delighted to see Ronaldo star against his old La Liga rivals, while singling out the veteran's work ethic for particular praise. 

“Ronaldo was very motivated to put in a good performance here against his eternal rival, so when you’re that motivated, it becomes simple,” he explained to Sky Sport Italia  after the final whistle.

“There are many games in a season and it’s easier to get fired up for fixtures like this, but we mustn’t lose sight of the real target, which is Serie A, so we have to be this concentrated and committed there too.

“It was important for our journey that we pick up where we left off in the derby. When you start with that focus, concentration and determination, then the quality emerges.

“We had prepared the match to create superiority in midfield with three against their two, the midfielders like McKennie able to push up, as we knew they had difficulty stopping them pushing up through the middle.

“The tactical plan worked and then the players did really well to make the most of the scoring opportunities.”

Juve are back in action on Sunday, when they visit Genoa in Serie A.

Paris Saint-Germain stars Kylian Mbappe and Presnel Kimpembe alongside African football icons Mutiu Adepoju plus Roger Milla have shown support to Pierre Webo after he was allegedly racial abused during Tuesday’s Champions League clash.

Istanbul Basaksehir assistant manager Webo was involved in a furious exchange with the fourth official Sebastian Coltescu, who had instructed the referee to send Webo off after he protested a call on the pitch. 

The Turkish club accused the fourth official of racial abuse in how he identified the Basaksehir assistant to the match referee. 

With the game now moved to Wednesday after both teams walked off the pitch, Mbappe and notable football figures took to social media, expressing solidarity with Webo.

Juventus director Fabio Paratici weighed in on the just-beginning Paul Pogba transfer saga, admitting "we love him very much" in the aftermath of Mino Raiola's bombshell claims on Monday.

Raiola, the French midfielder's agent, revealed on Monday that his client wants to leave Old Trafford, saying: "It’s over for Paul Pogba at Manchester United."

The famous agent went on to add that Pogba is "unhappy" with his current club because he is "no longer able to express himself in the way that he would like and as he is expected to."

Pogba has flirted with the idea of heading to Real Madrid several times, having previously admitted his interest in the club, but Raiola personally floated the idea of a return to Juventus for his longtime client.

The midfielder previously played for Juventus from 2012-16, emerging as one of the world's most in-demand midfielders before heading to Manchester United in 2016 for what was then a world-record transfer fee of £89 million ($119m).

Following Raiola's revelation, Paratici admitted that the club still has admiration for its former player, but he wasn't ready to commit to any pursuit just yet.

“That is not the right question, I think it’d be rather costly," he told Sport Mediaset. "We love him very much, we know he is a great player, but right now he is at Manchester United.”

Pogba started Tuesday's clash with RB Leipzig on the bench, which Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insisted was a tactical decision and not a response to Raiola's revelations.

However, the midfielder came on in the second half, scoring Manchester United's second goal in the eventual 3-2 loss that sent the club to the Europa League.

After the game, Solskajer was unwilling to discuss the Pogba situation, insisting that Pogba must speak for himself.

“As soon as Pogba's agent realises it is a team sport the better," he said. "I don’t want to spend energy on that.

"You have to ask Paul if he is happy or not, I’m not going to speak for him. Paul is focused on doing his best for the team.”

Manchester United are set to face Manchester City this weekend in a crucial Premier League clash while Juventus, who topped Barcelona 3-0 on Tuesday, will take on Torino.

Paul Pogba was dropped from the Manchester United starting line-up for Tuesday's crucial Champions League clash with RB Leipzig.

The midfielder started the 3-1 Premier League win at West Ham on Saturday, scoring his side's first goal as they came from behind to take all three points at London Stadium.

However, Pogba was left out of the team for the trip to the Bundesliga side just a day after his agent, Mino Raiola, claimed he is unhappy at Manchester United and should be sold in the next transfer window.

"I can say that it’s over for Paul Pogba at Manchester United," Raiola told Tuttosport.

He added: "Paul is unhappy with Man United as he is no longer able to express himself in the way that he would like and as he is expected to. Paul needs a new team, a change of air.

"He is under contract for the next 18 months and it will expire in the summer of 2022."

Ahead of Tuesday's match, Solskjaer said that Pogba's exclusion was tactical, saying he simply preferred Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic.

“Nothing," he told BT Sport when asked what Raiola's impact was. "You prepare for a game as if it's your last one – we have Man City on Saturday but we are focused on this one. The preparation is good.

“My decision is tactical. We made a team decision way before this game as we decided to play Scott and Nemanja in midfield.”

The outspoken Raiola added that Pogba could return to Juventus, having left the Italian club to head back to Manchester United in 2016 for what was then a world-record transfer fee of £89 million ($119m).

Pogba has also been linked with Real Madrid, having said several times in recent years that he could see himself playing for the Spanish giants.

The France international, whose season has been impacted by injury and struggles with coronavirus, has made 13 appearances in all competitions in 2020-21.

Pogba was one of five changes made by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from the win at West Ham, with David de Gea and Luke Shaw returning from injury to feature, the latter set to make his 150th appearance for the club.

Nemanja Matic, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford were also recalled to the starting XI.

United need a draw to guarantee their place in the last 16, while Leipzig need a win to progress.

Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha has been named in Premier League Team of the Week.

The Ivory Coast international delivered an impressive performance against West Bromwich Albion to help his side secure a 5-1 victory on Sunday.

The 28-year-old scored twice to inspire Palace to their fifth victory of the season which saw them move to 11th spot on the league table.

The forward has been rewarded for his eye-catching display in the encounter, having been included among the best performing players in the English top-flight in the week under review.

Newcastle United legend and anchor of the programme Alan Shearer also picked Zaha’s teammate Christian Benteke in the star-studded team, which also included Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, Eric Dier and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Also in the list is Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope, Liverpool’s Fabinho, Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and Chelsea’s Reece James.

Zaha has been a consistent performer for Crystal Palace over the years, helping them to maintain their Premier League status.

The forward has featured in more than 195 appearances across all competitions for Palace, scoring 42 goals, amid other dazzling displays.

In the current campaign, the winger has bagged seven goals and provided two assists in only nine Premier League games.

His consistent form has caught the attention of Palace’s English top-flight rivals but the Eagles have managed to tie down their influential forward.

Zaha will hope to continue his blistering performances for Roy Hodgson’s men when they take on Tottenham Hotspur on December 13.

Former Australia and Everton attacker Tim Cahill has expressed how the 2010 World Cup in South Africa holds a special place in his heart.

The first World Cup held in Africa, the gathering churned out one month of exciting football, with Spain beating the Netherlands in a thrilling final in front of 84,490 fans in Johannesburg.

The Aussies, though, did not have the best of tournaments as they suffered first round elimination after a mixed bag of results, including a 1-1 matchday two draw with Ghana.

"During my playing career, I was lucky enough to represent Australia at four World Cups. Each tournament was special in its own way, but I’ll never forget South Africa in 2010," Cahill, an ambassador for the 2022 World Cup, recounted in a personal feature looking ahead to the next tournament in Qatar.

"Football is a truly global sport and as a player it was always inspiring to see the passion of the fans in different parts of the world."

The Socceroos opened the competition with a disappointing heavy 4-0 loss to Germany.

In the final group game, Cahill was on the score sheet as his side registered a 2-1 triumph over Serbia but the win was not enough to secure a passage to the next round.

"On the pitch, the tournament didn’t go exactly as we wanted as we didn’t progress past the group stage and I was sent off against Germany in the opening game, but on a personal note I was proud to score a header against Serbia in a 2-1 victory in our last group match," said the 41-year-old.

"Off the pitch, the tournament was massively exciting as it was the first World Cup held in Africa and an incredible opportunity to play in a new part of the world.

"Before we went to South Africa in 2010 there was a lot of talk about security and how it was a risk but for me and my family it was one of the best World Cups because of the warmth of the people and the amazing opportunities to enjoy new experiences away from the pitch, such as visiting the safari parks.

"It was an incredible celebration of football and set an important precedent for the future of the competition by hosting it in a new territory."

Cahill, who also featured at the 2006, 2014 and 2018 World Cup tournaments, made over 100 appearances and scored about 50 goals for Australia. 

Marcelo Bielsa is looking for Patrick Bamford to become more like Borussia Dortmund’s Leeds-supporting striker Erling Haaland.

The Whites have seen their No.9 take an impressive step up onto a Premier League stage this season.

Through 11 games in the 2020-21 campaign, Bamford has found the target on eight occasions – with all of those efforts coming in the English top flight.

Questions had been asked of the 27-year-old’s ability to deliver among the elite, with accusations often levelled at him of spurning too many chances.

Bamford is, however, showing that he can be a leading man for Leeds, with his boss looking to take his game to even greater heights.

Bielsa is a coach who leaves no stone unturned, with those at his disposal often asked to complete homework tasks.

For Bamford, that means watching videos of some of the very best in the business and taking important lessons from them.

Haaland has been the focus of Bielsa’s recent assignments, with the Argentine inundating his leading marksman with showreels of the Dortmund star in action.

Bamford told the Ornstein and Chapman Podcast of his manager’s methods: “Throughout the week you get sent various things.

“Sometimes you get clips of the defender you will be playing against.

“The last three weeks I had two or three videos sent every day of Erling Haaland, like 15 minutes each one.

“I had to watch them and see what I could pick out from him.”

Bamford believes some of that inspiration is rubbing off on him, with his latest effort against Chelsea seeing him make the kind of run that Haaland has become famed for.

“To be honest it was quite similar to some of his goal,” added the in-form forward.

“I think I can work on the explosiveness of some of my runs sometimes. Sometimes I make a run without 100 per cent determination or conviction.”

Haaland can rarely be accused of lacking conviction in his game, with the highly-rated 20-year-old – who was born in Leeds and has made no secret of his allegiance to the Whites – racking up 33 goals through his 32 appearances for Dortmund to date.

Casemiro says Real Madrid head into a crunch Champions League clash with Borussia Monchengladbach in confident mood, with the Blancos adopting the mindset of “you don’t play finals, you win them”.

A meeting with German opponents at Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday has become a winner-takes-all contest for Zinedine Zidane’s side.

Continental struggles have left Madrid third in Group B with just one game left to take in.

Victory is required over Monchengladbach in order to book a place in the last 16 and extend another adventure among the European elite into 2021.

Defeat could be catastrophic for Real, with it possible that Inter could climb above them and snatch the consolation prize of a spot in the last 32 of the Europa League.

Casemiro is giving little thought to that outcome, with the Brazil international midfielder adamant that Zidane’s side will collect the result they need on home soil.

He told reporters at a pre-match press conference: “We know that this is the most important game of the year.

“We all know that tomorrow is a final. We have to face it as if it were a final. We’ve been taught at this club that you don’t play finals, you win them.

“We’re not thinking about anything other than winning. We know there is a good opponent and they’re top of the group, so we have to respect that. But, we’re going out to win.”

Casemiro added on the prospect of missing out on a top-two finish: “If we can’t continue in the Champions League, I’d prefer to continue in a competition.

“We’d want to win the Europa League. But, we’re only thinking about winning and going through.”

Real will face Monchengladbach on the back of a much-needed La Liga victory over Sevilla last time out, but momentum has proved difficult to establish this season with the games coming thick and fast.

Casemiro said of those struggles: “I’m not here to give excuses, but we know that this year the pre-season wasn’t normal.

“There are some teams in La Liga who only play at the weekends, whereas we play every three days. We’re not having time to rest and we’re having injuries.

“It’s not just at Real Madrid, but many other teams are having ups and downs. Because it’s impossible to play so many matches together.

“We know that this isn’t a normal season. We have many matches. The pre-season wasn’t normal and we’re not machines. Playing every three days isn’t normal, so there have been many injuries.”

One of those set to return to the Madrid fold from the treatment room is Sergio Ramos, with Casemiro delighted to have the Blancos’ talismanic skipper back.

He added: “He’s a leader and he’s our captain. He’s been here for a long time.

“We also need to praise those who have done things well, like Nacho and [Raphael] Varane. But, Ramos is the best and we’re very happy that he is back with us.”

Gary Neville admits that Manchester United have put themselves in the Premier League title mix, “as daft as that sounds”, but the Red Devils legend is not expecting a challenge for the crown to be sustained.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have clambered into fifth spot in the English top-flight table.

They are only five points off the pace being set by Tottenham and Liverpool and still boast a game in hand on all of those above them – having taken in a delayed start to their 2020-21 campaign.

Efforts on the road, which have delivered five successive comeback victories, are helping to make United competitive.

A reversal in fortune at Old Trafford could see them become serious contenders for the ultimate prize, eight years after Sir Alex Ferguson toasted the last of his 13 successes, but Neville believes the usual suspects will start to edge clear in time.

The United legend told Sky Sports on an intriguing tussle for domestic supremacy: “I think he’s [Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho] got a chance because there’s no doubt Liverpool and Manchester City are not where they were.

“Losing [Virgil] Van Dijk, I think Liverpool win this league at a canter if Van Dijk is fit. I really do, nobody can get near them.

“I still think Liverpool will win the league but there are little things going against them that haven’t in the last couple of years. The same for Manchester City and that makes it interesting.

“Chelsea and Tottenham are looking at them thinking, ‘Hmm, they’re not right and we’re okay here, we’re just starting to hit form, we’re building spirit, we’re getting closer to them’ and I think that is giving confidence to them.

“Even Manchester United - Manchester United players will be sat there thinking ‘We could have a chance if we play like we could’, as daft as that sounds because I don’t think they will win the league.

“That’s what this season is doing to us because the top two [Liverpool and City] have set a bar that we’ve never seen before and now we are starting to see something more normal.”

Real Madrid "know what is at stake" against Borussia Monchengladbach, according to Zinedine Zidane, who says has not contemplated the possibility of his team dropping into the Europa League.

The Spanish side face the distinct prospect of missing out on qualifying for the last-16 stage of the Champions League after a 2-0 defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk last week saw them slump to third place in Group B. 

Madrid's loss was their second in the competition this season - they have never lost three times in a single group stage.

Their worrying lack of form in Europe had coincided with a tricky start to their La Liga title defence too, though the pressure on Zidane was eased somewhat by Saturday's 1-0 win away at Sevilla. 

Still, the Frenchman knows the importance of Wednesday's home game against Gladbach, who start the final round of fixtures sitting pretty in top spot.

"It is a different game because we know the situation," Zidane told the media.   

"We want to add the three points and finish the round on top [of the group]. We have all that in mind. All the games are important, but it is a good opportunity to show what we are as a team." 

Asked if he feared for his job if they fail to make it through, he replied: "The club will do what it has to do, as always. I only think about Wednesday's game." 

There remains the prospect of Madrid dropping into the Europa League if they finish in their current position, though Zidane insists his players are used to the pressure that comes with playing for the club. 

"I don't think about the Europa League, I don't contemplate anything else. The players are the same. You [the media] can think and give your opinion, it's your job. We only think about playing a great game," Zidane said. 

"All the players and the club are used to playing under pressure. We are used to playing games like this. We know what is at stake.  

"We have to manage our emotions and above all prepare things well. The important thing is that inside we prepare the game well."

In his 13 seasons in the Champions League as both a player and manager, Zidane has only been eliminated at the group stage once, which was with Juventus back in 2000.

Gladbach know a draw will be good enough to send them through to the knockout stages, while Shakhtar and Inter also remain in with a chance of progressing from a tightly contested group.